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Definitions:
El Niño - Unusually warm surface water temperatures in the Pacific ocean caused by weak or reversed direction trade winds.
La Niña - Unusually cold surface water temperatures in the Pacific ocean caused by strong easterly trade winds.
Strange phenomenon occur during an El Niño and
La Niña like...
Strange phenomenon occur during an El Niño and
La Niña like...
Brush fires caused by drought in Texas (La Niña)
Increased Tropical Storms (La Niña)
Hurricane Floyd was HUGE! (1999 - La Niña)
Causing devastating floods in Australia (2010-2011 La
Niña)
Peruvian anchovy populations declined (El
Niño)
Surface Ocean Currents
Currents that are controlled by the wind. ~¼ mile depth, 10%
Normal Condition
Equatorial winds gather warm water pool toward the west. Cold water upwells along the coast of Peru.
Strong upwelling
El Nino
Surface current reversed, pushing warm water toward the coast of Peru.The absence of cold upwelling increases warming.
La Nina
Warm water is farther west than usual, causing a strong upwelling of cold water in the Eastern Pacific
NOAA drifting buoys
Measures...temperatur
ecurrentswinds
Satellites
Instruments on satellites measure wind, waves, temperature of the sea surface, ocean color, ocean surface currents, and tides.
Where they monitor…
Videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR5VPAqVQBw El Nino explanation video 3min
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEAv-9TZktY La Nina
explanation video 3.5min http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWTucpsClLc Austin newscast in
January talking about Australia flooding 2min http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5x8dJ57xkk Texas weatherman
predictions for this year from July 2010. about 3min http://esminfo.prenhall.com/science/geoanimations/animations/
26_NinoNina.html All three animations
